Automatic train-pipe connecter



Ndv. 1, 1927;

WITNESS MAM ' 1,647,571 A. LECLERC 4 T AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE GONNECTER OriginalFiled Aug- 21. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Nov. 1, 1927. 1,647,571

A. A. LECLERC AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNEGTER Original Filed Aug. 21. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4.

INVENTOR WITNESS Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT ALCIDE LECLEEC, OF MONTREALQUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIG'NOR TO JOSEPH ROBTNSON, OF MORBISTOW'N, NEW' JERSEY;

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PIPE GONNECTER.

Application filed August 21, 1920, Serial No. 405,200, and in Canada June 24, 1920. Renewed May 12, 1925.

This invention relates to automatic train pipe connecters such as are used for the automaticconnection of the air and steam pipes coincident with the usual automatic action of the car couplers.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a train pipe connecter that will be inexpensive to manufacture, neat and attractive in appearance, eflicient in use, and simple and easy to manipulate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connecter that is easily applicable to any car and is well adapted to operate whether the cars are on a straight or curved track, or whether or not the track is level.

Another object of the invention is to provide supporting means for the head, so designed as to make it impossible for any extraordinary or abnormal impulses to fracture'or disable any main part of the structure, and to enable an operator to easily and quickly disconnect or reconnect a head with no other tools than a hammer or mallet and whether or not such head is coupled to a companion head carried by an adjacent car.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangemerit and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein,

still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodimentthereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several; views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the relation of my improvement to a drawbar.

.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the bracket onthe line as of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4. a

Fig. 4 is a plan view with parts in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

' Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring now more specifically 'to' the drawings I indicate a lug 10 or its equivalent extending downward from the draw bar 11, said lug being indicated as having two parallel lips through which larger and smaller pairs of holes 10 and 10 project trans versely. The main. relatively fixed support for the coupling head is a'bracket 12, of T-shape in cross section, the main web portion of which is fitted between the lips of the lug 10 and provided with holes 12 and 12? registering with the aforesaid holesrespectively. A master pivot pin39 in the form of a bolt and nutextends through the holes 10 and 12 and constitutes a permanent-connection between the bracket and the lug and around which the bracket may swing. For normal use the bracket is locked rigid with the'lug by means of a pin 40 passing through the registering holes 10 and 12". This pin 40 is shown as being driven into place as by a hammer or mallet and locked therein by the bending over of its smaller end. Any suitable material may be employed for this pin 40 adapting it for sustaining normal strains, shocks, or impulses, but adapted to break or yield when the head is subjected to abnormal or dangerous impulses, whereby damage to or breakage of any of the more important parts is prevente After one pin 40 is used another may easily be supplied and inserted for subsequent use of the coupling. The bracket 12 is shown extending downward and rearward from the lug 10, and it terminates at its lower end in a clamping socket 13 of peculiar design, the same com prising a body having a fore and aft opening of generally cylindrical form but provided with an internal thread like groove 15, in. which and through which themain spring 17 is adapted to be screwed and subsequently clamped as by means of a bolt 28 passing transversely through a pair of lips 27 formed on opposite sides of a slot 26 at the bottom of the clamp member 13. The groove 15 is a counterpart of the outer surface of the spring, the spring being shown as acylindrical coil of the tension or contractile type and of uniform cross section; It is obvious thatthe effective length or force ofthe spring may be determined by the longitudinal adjustments thereof in or along the threaded socket of the clamp'13. The end of the spring remote from thebracket is provided with a hook 18 shown as lying in a horizontal plane coincidingwith thelongitudinal central axis of the spring.

The head 23 is indicatedas of the flat face type, having upper and lowergathering guides 24 on opposite sides thereof for cooperation with-the ecrrespending parts-cf a Cir companion head, as well understood in the art. This head is arranged to accommodate one or more nipples or pipe fittings of any suitable nature, but preferably such as described and claimed in an application filed on the 21st day of August, 1920, Serial No. 418,401, as a division of this application.

Any suitable means may be provided to connect the head resiliently to the bracket 12 through the spring 17. To this end I show a rigid member in the form of a U- shaped yoke 14 having arms embracing the opposite sides of the clamp member 13 and having pivotal support upon the knife edge lateral extensions as of the clamp member. The yoke is adapted to slide forward or rearward bodily along the clamp upon said knife, edges, and irrespective of the bodily movement it is adapted to tilt up and down and laterally with respect to the bracket.

Thebracket is provided with rounded or convex sides adjacent to side knife edge eX- tensions. Hence, the head and its rigidly attached yoke are adapted to accommodate themselves to movement into all positions necessary for automatic interlocking co-operation with a companion head. Twisting or torsional movement of the head around its longitudinal axis or center is prevented,

however, by the direct contact between the arms of the yoke and the lower portion of the bracket. See Fig. 6. Hence, the reliability of this coupling is increased by being held from torsional movement.

In the loop or crotch portion of the yoke is formed a horizontal slot 19 through which the hook 18 is adapted to be projected in the assemblage of the parts, and awedge or key 20 is adapted to be driven into the space between the hook and the yoke to constitute an effective interlock between the main spring and the rigid member or yoke connected to the head. The key 20 is provided with a shallow notch 20 into which the hook snapswhen the key is driven into place and thereby the key is held from slipping out of place by the resiliency of the spring. The spring being clamped in place as above described at any desired length or strength it has an inherent tendency to extend rearward from the bracket in a horizontal direction, and hence the spring tends to anaintain the yoke in a horizontal position, supported upon the knife edges 43 on opposite sides of the clamp 18 and with the spring located within the yoke. The vertical spaces be tween the knife edges as on either side of the clamp may be termed notches 21.

The frontends of the yoke arms may be connected in any suitable manner to any parts of the head 28. As shown they are deflected upward and downward respectively from the plane of the parallel horizontal parts of the arms and are secured to the head in the region of the guides 24; as by means of set screws or studs '25. Thus these ends of the arms constitute stiifeners or reenforcements for the guides. A transverse bolt 22 extends through the arms of the .yoke at about the front end of the parallel portions and spaced far enough in advance of the bracket to permit all ordinary or proper rearward displacement of the head before being stopped positively by the bracket. It is to be understood that during such rearward movement of the head the spring 17 is elongated from its normal contracted position or shape. By the adjustment of the spring forward by screwing it farther through the clamp socket, the head will be positioned farther forward accordingly, and the effective length of the spring will be shortened and the force of the spring tending to resist the extension thereof will be increased. The coils of the spring being close to each other as they lie in the counterpart grooves 15, enables the spring to be delicately adjusted as may be required either in the original assemblage or subsequently as a result of wear or other circumstances. In other words, the rotation of the spring through one or more half turns from the original position will always leave the hook in the. proper position to enter the slot 19, and the rotation of the spring through a half turn will effecta moderate degree of adjustment thereof. As above premised, should the head be subjected to a dangerous blow or impulse the cross brace or bolt 22 will engage directly against the bracket and so relieve the spring from undue strain, and if such impulse is too great for the safety of the mechanism the pin 10 will shear or yield.

If it is desired to remove the head and yoke from the bracket, it is only necessary to drive the key 20 out of the book 18 which may be done readily by a hammer or mallet. If. however, it is desired to remove the head and yoke from the draw bar without detaching the yoke from the bracket, the use of a wrench may be required in connection with the hammer to remove the pins 39 and 10.

I claim:

1. In an automatic connecter, the combination ofa head, a fixed support, a rigid mem ber projecting rearward from the head and having direct pivotal contact with the support. resilient connecting means between the fixed support and the rigid member-serving normally to hold the head in a predetermined position, and means carried by the fixed support to grip around the outer surface of the resilient means at any desired distance from the end thereof, securing the same to the rigid member.

2. In anautomat-ic connecter, the combination with a supporting lug, a head, a bracket, and means carried by the bracket for supporting the head, of means to connect the bracket to the lug comprising a said socket and extending rearward from the bracket, a head, a rigid member projecting rearward from the head past the bracket, means to connect the rear end of the spring to said rigid member, and positive stop means to limit the movement of the head rearward with respect to the bracket to prevent the straining of the spring.

4-. In an automatic connecter, a bracket having an internally threaded portion, a coiled spring threaded into said portion of the bracket and extending rearwardly therefrom, a coupling head, 'a rigid member connected to said head and extending rearwardly past said bracket, said member adjacent its rear end being provided with an elongated recess, said spring having a portion at its rear end adapted to enter said recess, and means for securing said portion of the spring in said recess.

5. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination of a coupling head, a bracket, a coiled spring arranged rearwardly of said bracket for yieldingly supporting said head, said bracket being provided with an annular seat which extends around the longitudinal axis of said spring, a member connected to said head and said spring and comprising spaced straps which span said bracket and which are pivotally and slidably supported on opposite sides of the bracket, the front end of said spring engaging said annular seat on the bracket. 7

6. In an automatic train pipe connecter, a bracket having an internally threaded portion, a coiled spring threaded into tion of the bracket and extending rearward ly therefrom, a coupling head, a rigid member connected to said head and extending rearwardly past said bracket and comprising spaced straps which span said bracket, said member being connected to said spring at a point rearwardly of said bracket, substantially as described.

7. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination of a coupling head, a bracket having ar internally threaded portion adjacent its lower end, a coiled spring threaded into said portion of the bracket and extending rearwardly therefrom, a coupling head, a pair of spaced straps rigidly secured to said head and extending rearwardly past said bracket, said straps being slidably and pivotally associated with said bracket, and means for connecting said straps to said spring at a point rearwardly of said bracket. I

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. Y

ALBERT ALCIDE LEGLERC.

said por-' 

